GREAT FALLS - Special Olympics athlete Jenny Hill has a smile that could light up the whole state, and thanks to her recent appointment as a Law Enforcement Torch Run Ambassador she has an opportunity to traverse Montana and make everyone’s day a little brighter.
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After running hard for 1.7 miles through Great Falls during a leg of the LETR run, Jenny Hill was a little worse for wear when she arrived at her destination.
"I got a little over-heated doing the torch run today,” Hill said with an ice pack around her neck. “I need to sit and relax for ten minutes.”
But moments later she was her usual smiling self. Snapping photos, chatting with law enforcement officers and athletes and reflecting on her time in Special Olympics. Jenny is never not smiling. She has no reason to frown or fret.
“Because I'm always in a good mood,” she said. “And I always look forward to doing my sports and being a part of the law enforcement tradition.”
Jenny has been a Special Olympics athlete for 28 years. First in Oregon, and for the last five years in Montana.
And she stays busy competing in nearly every sport the organization has to offer: gymnastics, snowshoeing, bocce, bowling, basketball, swimming, golf, softball, and powerlifting.
Away from SOMT, she also took up figure skating where she competes on the national level.
“So it takes me time to balance out each sports,” Hill said of her busy schedule. “But I get it done and I love doing it.”
As a torch run ambassador, Jenny gets to carry the Flame of Hope at Special Olympics functions. She travels the state visiting law enforcement agencies, spreading awareness about the LETR mission.
“Traveling around means a lot,” Hill said. “Getting to meet different cops from different parts of Montana, just getting to know different people is pretty amazing.”
Jenny is inspired by law enforcement officers. And in turn, she inspires them.
“Jenny's always so positive. She always excels in anything she does,” said Detective Cara Guderian of the Great Falls Police Department. “She always has a smile on her face, which really lifts us up on some of our bad days or some of our bad weeks. Just being around her is really just a positive environment.”
And Hill knows how vital law enforcement is to the mission of Special Olympics and to her personally.
“I appreciate them more than they’ll ever know they've been a huge part of my life since I moved here,” Hill said. “They always have my back when I need it. And they always take good care of me, and I always look out for them.”
